RFR, The Next Generation
by Roscoefan
Summary: It's about 30 years in the future, and the RFR gang has kids of their own...Robin, Riley, Scott, and Jack. What adventures and mishaps will this generation get themselves into? Read on and find out...
1. Chapters 1 to 6

RFR: The Next Generation

CHAPTER 1

There once was a little café on a quirky street in a quirky town. It was a quaint, small brick building, with an outdoor patio. It was a local hangout for the teenage crowd, who flocked to the café after school. At this café, you could browse through old records and CD's while sipping a hot cup of coffee. There was a small stage in the corner, used for open-mic nights that showcased the town's greatest talent. The original owner had passed away, and four young-at-heart adults had taken the place under their wings since, even though they were all balancing full-time jobs and children. They vowed to keep the little café the way they remembered it, a warm, comforting, place that they could go to whenever they needed a friend. Whenever their heart was broken. Whenever they felt like hanging out. Yes, to some, the little brick café was an insignificant place, just another crack in the sidewalk, but to those four friends, it was full of memories. It was the one and only Mickey's Discs.

CHAPTER 2

Lily Brennan cursed under her breath as she, for the tenth time, pressed the button on the espresso machine and no beverage came out.

A female teenage voice from behind her piped up, "Need some help, Mom?"

"No, thank you, Riley, I can handle this...just let me…urggh!"

"Mom?"

"Riley, I can handle it! Now let's see..."

"Mom?"

"Riley, go talk to your friends or something…I don't understand, I just filled it…stupid machine!"

"Mom!"

"WHAT, Riley?"

"You didn't plug it in!"

"Oh…right. Thanks, dear."

Riley sighed and walked over to the table where her brother Jack and their best friends Robin and Scott were sitting. Robin's parents, Travis and Parker Strong, and Scott's parents, Robert and Eve McGrath, were the Brennan's best friends.

"Your mom's having machine troubles?" asked Robin.

"Again. Last week it was the deep fryer."

"I swear, mom's going crazy," said Jack. "Last week, when we went to that fancy restaurant, she freaked and started bawling when dad ordered frog legs. I wonder why?"

CHAPTER 3

Sometimes, after closing hours, the whole gang would sit down, and the parents would tell "back in the day" stories about when they were teenagers.

Once, they talked about Ray's experience at the Mr. Roscoe Pageant.

"You asked mom out?"

"In front of the _whole _school?"

"And mom said _what_?"

"It was too late? How cruel, Mrs. Brennan!"

Another time, they talked about No Man's Land.

"Yep, your mom wrote a song basically telling me to get lost…WHACK …Ow, man, that hurt, Lily!"

"Don't be stupid, Ray, I was confessing my love to you!"

And, once they talked about Cougar Radio. This got the most interest from the kids.

"You broke into the Cougar Radio airwaves? Wow."

"Are you serious? How can anyone be that horrible?"

"And you dated her? What were you thinking, dad?"

"You both liked Donnie and the Dragon?"

Yes, the adults loved reminiscing about the days when they were young. But there was still one important thing they hadn't told their children. And they weren't sure how.

CHAPTER 4

Scott sat on the floor of his attic, exhausted. Was emptying old junk from boxes and inhaling billion year old dust really a chore worth $10?

"Scott? Are you almost done cleaning up the attic?" Robbie shouted from downstairs.

"Yes, dad. Just a few more."

He stared blankly at the mountain of boxes he had yet to sort through. Big boxes, small boxes, odd shaped boxes that smelled like old lady…

_Urrgh. Will this ever end? I haven't even…hey, what's that?_

A medium-sized and old-looking dusty box caught his eye. He dragged the strange box over, and saw that it was labeled "?'s Stuff". Being the curious person that he was, Scott ripped off the tape that held it together and opened the box.

After choking on the cloud of dust that smothered his face when he lifted the flaps, he looked inside. In the box was a pair of old headphones, some ancient cassettes, about 20 CD's, a microphone, and…

"Wow."

He took his mini-cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Jack! You've got to come over here. Now!"

CHAPTER 5

By the sound of feet clomping up the stairs below, Scott knew that Jack had arrived. A few seconds later, he appeared in the doorway, out of breath.

"Ok, I'm here. What happened?"

"Come look at this."

Jack went over and sat by Scott and the box.

"Oh, yeah, this is really urgent, Scotty. A box of old lint and some clunky retro headgear. When you called, I thought you broke your arm, or lit the house on fire, or the hot sisters next door were having a pool party…"

"Will you shut up? Besides, this is what I really wanted to show you. Look."

Scott tossed Jack an old photo album that was almost as tattered as the box.

"Sorry, Scotty, pal, but looking at your old family photos isn't…"

"You idiot, will you just shut up and look inside?"

Jack glared at Scott, then flipped open the album. After browsing the first page, his eyes grew wide.

"Hey…that's…that's me!

Scott sighed and rolled his eyes.

"No, Jack, that's your dad! And your mom, and my dad, and Robin's dad!"

Jack looked amazed.

"Is that really my dad? Wow…and I thought my sideburns were wooly."

They continued to flip through the album. On every page, there were pictures of the four parents as teenagers. A smiling Lily with her long blonde hair, holding her guitar. Robbie, with his enormous hair and even bigger smile. Travis, with a small, stern grin on his face and his spiky hair. And finally, Ray, with his trademark sideburns and a mustard stain on his shirt.

CHAPTER 6

In almost every picture in the album, they were standing in front of various machines with many buttons and poster-covered metal walls.

Scott tapped his finger on his chin.

"I wonder where these were taken. It looks like a factory warehouse, or something like that."

"Or the cockpit of a jet, judging by all that equipment," suggested Jack.

They looked at the album for a few more minutes, until Scott realized something.

"Those CD's that were in the box…I didn't get a good look at them."

"Well," said Jack. "What are you waiting for?"

Scott picked up one of the many CD's that were in the box. It was labeled: _RFR Broadcasts #12-14._

Jack looked confused once again. "RFR? What does that mean…Really Freaky…Rutabaga?"

Scott didn't answer; he was just as bewildered as Jack was. He remembered that he hadn't packed away his dad's old CD player yet, so he crawled to the corner, picked it up and brought it back by the box. He carefully took the CD out of its case and placed it in the slot of the CD player. Both boys were silent as Scott pressed play, not knowing what to expect.


	2. Chapters 7 to 11

CHAPTER 7

A male voice filled the attic within a few seconds.  
"Gooood afternoon…this is the one and only, handsome, fabulous Pronto...WHACK…Ow, geez, woman! And you're listening to Radio Free Roscoe…"

A brief guitar chord sequence played, and a female voice chimed, "88.1 on your radio dial!"

"Thank you Pronto and Shady Lane for the intro," said a second male voice. "I'm Question Mark…"

Scott's eyes widened. The label on the box…

"I'm Question Mark, and I'm wondering, does it seem that Principal Waller has almost reached his goal of destroying every iota of independence in HRHS? I mean, today, he banned putting up pictures and posters in lockers! What's the point? The lockers are shut most of the day anyway!"

"Yeah, you're telling me, I had a really good pic of Anna Kournikova in mine…WHACK…I'm telling ya Shady, stop _doing_ that…"

"Well," said the female voice, "Let's make up for the loss of our 2-D celebrity mementos with a good song. Smog?"

A third, deep male voice spoke. "Here's the Pettit Project with their latest, _3_ _Cheers 4 Me_."

CHAPTER 8

As the song played, Scott looked at Jack. Everything was falling into place. "Our parents…they had their own radio station!"

"Illegally, too, I bet."

"My dad…he was Question Mark. Your dad was Pronto…"  
"Yeah, I guessed that when he mentioned Anna Kournikova…"

Scott continued. "…Your mom was Shady Lane, and Mr. Strong, he was Smog. Those pictures were taken in the station…that explains all the equipment. And the headphones in the box."

Jack stared at the headphones as if they had magical powers. Scott, however, was wondering about something.

"Strange…I wonder why they never told us about it. They told us about other stuff from when they were our age…"

"Oh, I don't know, Scott. Maybe it's because you _always ask a zillion questions _every time you don't know every single bit of information! _You_ could be Question Mark, for crying out loud…"

Scott pretended not to hear Jack.

"We should tell Riley and Robin about this. I'm going to call them now."

Jack snorted. "Aw, they won't care. They'd rather play with their dollies and talk about sunshine and marshmallows…I bet that's what they're doing right now…"

CHAPTER 9

Riley and Robin were in the Brennan's basement, playing their moms' old guitar and bass. They were practicing a song they wrote, but it wasn't exactly perfect…

_If opposites attract_

_Then I'm rubber and you're glue_

_But we still go together_

_Like the ingredients in a stewwww!_

_Yeah!_

Riley groaned.

"That sucked out loud. I mean, it didn't even make sense."

"Obviously we didn't inherit our mom's musical talent," said Robin as she unplugged the bass from the amp.

Riley paced on the carpet nervously.  
"Robs, we have to think of something, eventually. The talent show's in…what, two weeks? We've got to let everyone know that we're not pathetic, loner freshmen, that we're…we're…"

"Semi-pathetic, loner, freshmen?" suggested Robin.

"Yeah, that's it."

RING, RING, rang the telephone. Riley saw by the caller ID that it was Scott.

"Hey."

"Yeah, hey, can you-and Robin, if she's there-come over to my place?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, we've found out something interesting. About our parents."

"What about them?" asked Riley. Scott was never included details.

"Just come over."

"But…"

"Ok, bye."

Riley hung up the phone and faced Robin.

"We're going to Scott's house."  
"Ok…um, will Jack be there?"

"Probably. Why?"

"No reason. None at all."

CHAPTER 10

Robin's golden brown hair flew in her face as she and Riley pedaled down Roscoe Ave. on their bikes. She could taste the hairspray as a multitude of strands stuck to her lips. It took something really important to get her to go out in weather like this, because she liked riding in the wind about as much as she liked the song they wrote.

They rode around the corner to Fourth Street where the McGraths lived. As they pulled into the familiar driveway, Jack stuck his head out the attic window and threw what appeared to be a chewed wad of gum at them.

"Hey, how's it going, Chia Pet?" snapped Robin as she pulled the pink glob out of her already tangled hair.

Jack touched his sideburns, offended, and retreated back into the attic.

Riley rolled her eyes as they parked their bikes. "Sorry, Robs. Sometimes that guy is just so…irritating! He'll never grow up."

"Yeah…never," said Robin with a weak smile.

Instead of throwing the gum away, she placed it in her pocket.

CHAPTER 11

The girls walked into the McGrath's home only to encounter a very bad smell and the beeping of the smoke alarm. They saw Robbie in the kitchen fanning the alarm with oven mitt in hand. On the counter was a pan of green mush with a fine layer of black crust.

"Mr. McGrath," they said in unison, "What happened?"

Robbie coughed and replied, "Well, it's me and Eve's anniversary tomorrow…I was trying to cook asparagus-tuna casserole-it's her favorite, not mine- and I got Celsius and Fahrenheit mixed up when I baked it. Er…you won't tell her, will you?"

"Of course not," said Riley, "But I see a fast-food place in your near future."

Holding their noses, they headed up the narrow staircase that led to the attic.


	3. Chapters 12 to 14

CHAPTER 12

When the girls reached the attic, the first thing they heard was a song, playing quietly from the CD player.

(Lily's Cafeteria song)

"Hey- that's good!" exclaimed Riley. "For a weird little song, that's really good! Who sang…"

Jack cut her off. You'd never guess. Just keep listening."

The four of them kept listening to the CD. Robin especially paid attention to the parts when Smog was talking.

At the end of the disc, the girls' eyes were as wide as Scott's had been.

"That was really, really…I mean, wow. Who were those kids? They really expressed themselves…and they sort of sound familiar."

Scott and Jack explained the whole thing to them, from the discovery of the old box, to the photo album, to the recorded broadcasts. After they explained it all, the girls looked pale.

"You mean, that was mom's song? Wow, she's musical and everything, but I never would have thought…"

"My dad was Smog? No wonder I knew all those Buddha quotes. I guess our parents are really smarter- and wiser- then we thought they were."

Now the gang knew all about their parents' hardest kept secret. But the thing was, would their parents care? Was it a thing of the past? Or did they have a good reason not to tell?

CHAPTER 13

It was Sunday evening, and Lily, Ray, Travis, and Parker were having dinner at the Roscoe Grill, celebrating Robbie and Eve's anniversary.

Travis cleared his throat and spoke up. "As Buddha once said, 'health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.' So let's raise our glasses and wish the McGraths many more years of health, contentment, and faithfulness."

Robbie and Eve kissed as the others lifted their cups. Eve was beaming.

"This is really nice, Robbie, better than a burnt casserole."

"Aww, I told Robin and Riley not to tell you about that."

"Oh, they didn't. I saw the inside of the oven, it was covered in tuna."

Robbie winced, but his attention was suddenly brought to something else.

"Speaking of the kids, what was so exciting about our attic that they spent 6 whole hours up there?"  
"I think kids are naturally intrigued by old junk," said Lily. "Remember when we went to all those thrift shops?"

"True…" Robbie fell silent for a few moments. "I just remembered something. The box with all my old stuff was up there."

"So?" snorted Ray as he shoveled a forkful of steak into his mouth. "It's an attic. You keep old stuff in an attic."

"I meant all my RFR stuff, Ray…including the show recordings!"

"So?" repeated Ray.

"Robbie is right to be concerned," pointed out Travis. "They're young and curious. Who knows what kind of ideas they'd get if they heard one of our old shows, let alone all of them? It's true we should be encouraging them to let their voices be heard…but we put a lot on the line for RFR. We don't want them to think it was all fun and games. It was risky business."

"I wouldn't worry about it," reassured Parker. "Knowing them, they probably got distracted by some old furniture or something. They probably didn't even notice your box."

CHAPTER 14

Riley, Jack, Scott and Robin went to Mickey's while their parents were out to dinner. They had a spare key, so they often came to the café long after closing hours. Jack got drinks while the others sat on the big red sofa.

"Ok…one coffee with milk, one hot cocoa, one fancy Italian thing I can't pronounce, and for me…a chocolate milkshake avec _crème de whipped_."

Scott instantly gagged after sipping the latte.

"This coffee isworse than your French, _Mon ami_."

"Hey, at least I wasn't the one who tried to memorize the English-Spanish dictionary just to impress the foreign exchange student!"

"It was the English-Portuguese dictionary! Whatever, let's change the subject!" He saw Riley writing furiously in her notebook, stopping only to erase. "Hey, Ry, what's that you're writing?"

"I'm trying to think of ideas for a song. I don't understand, nothing sounds right at all!" She sighed heavily, then ripped out the page she was scribbling on and crumpled it up. "Did you think of anything yet, Robs?"

Robin shook her head. "No, nothing. Judging by that last song, It might take us a while to come up with _anything_ remotely talent-show worthy."

Robin tossed the wad of paper at the wall and slouched into the cushions. "Then we might as well give up. Who cares if we're social outcasts for the rest of our lives? Who cares if guys never pay attention to us? Who car…"

"Who cares what anyone thinks, Riley!" Robin intervened. "Stop complaining. We're not doing this for the glory, we're doing this because we love music! We will write a decent song, even if it takes up every ounce of our time! We're not giving up."

Riley stared down at her shoes, speechless. After a few moments she looked up and faced Robin.

"You're right, Robin. I'm being too self-conscious. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of us. C'mon, let's go to my house. We have a lot of writing to do. Later, guys."

Scott watched as the girls left the building.

"You know, Robin doesn't say much, but when she does…she's really expressive."

Jack wasn't listening. He was too busy gulping down the last of his milkshake.


	4. Chapters 15 to 16

**CHAPTER 15(sorry if the chapter thingis confusing, I just don't have titles for them)**

After the lunch bell, the students of Henry Roscoe High School quickly filed into the cafeteria. Scott and Riley joined an arm-wrestling Jack and Robin at their usual table. Robin had Jack's arm pinned down flat.

"One…two…three! Ha, I won…again."

Jack winced and rubbed his forearm. "Who are you? Schwartzenegger in disguise?"

A familiar loud roar interrupted Robin in mid-punch.

"_Cougar Radio!"_

All four of them groaned.

"Hey, y'all. This is Janice Gervais with the Cougar Radio Lunchtime Report. But first, an announcement from your principal. Mr. Waller?

"Thank you, Janice," spoke the man's aging voice. "Whoever had the _nerve_ to sketch a caricature of myself, accompanied by the words 'Principal Poo' in the middle stall of the boy's washroom facility can report to my office at once…if you wish to move on to the next grade! I am disgusted by this disrespectful behavior. I expect you to show me the same respect that you would your peers. Students, if you believe that a satirical cartoon will undermine my authority, you are wrong. Never bite the hand that feeds you! That is all."

Riley cautiously inspected the browning lettuce in her sandwich. "The hand that feeds us needs a visit from the Board of Health."

"Thank you, Principal Waller," continued Janice. "I'm sure _everyone_ will think twice now before drawing _anything_ on the bathroom walls. Moving on. Tomorrow, the Henry Roscoe High Cheerleading Squad will be holding a car wash to raise money for new uniforms."

"No way!" said Jack excitedly, along with all the other males in the cafeteria. "Hey, Scotty, guess where we're going tomorrow!"

"You overlooked one important detail, my friend. We don't have cars!"

Riley was looking furious. "I can't believe this!"

"Aw, don't worry, sis. Me and Scott can take our bikes."

"It's not about that, you idiot," she snarled. "The school band needs new instruments and equipment…an amp, a drum set, a sound system, a tuba…so they've held about 5 different fundraisers this semester!"

"So? That's good, isn't it."

"No! Hardly anyone showed up for any of them. And do you know why? Cougar Radio didn't advertise them! Last time I checked, they were required to promote all school events."

"Well, cheerleading and football are all anyone cares about in this school," said Robin, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly. They don't even need new uniforms. They got new ones at the beginning of the year!"

"I bet the captain of the squad had something to do with it," said Robin. "Ew, ew, the blue and gold clashes with my nail polish! Get it away from me!" she mocked in a high-pitched voice.

The other two burst into laughter, but Scott was silent, thinking.

Now this is the kind of scenario RFR would be talking about.

**CHAPTER 16**

(After School)

Scott pedaled his bike down Maple Avenue. It was a quiet little street, with a few small businesses lining the road. Scott was looking for one store in particular.

"Let's see…Clyde's Streetwear…The Green Leaf Café…aha! Radio Hut!"

He parked his bike on the sidewalk and walked into the tall brick building. Inside, the walls were lined with shelves, shelves displayed with various radios and gadgets, some new, and some that were older-looking.

He wandered over to a table and saw a tool-box with a built-in digital radio Beside it was a pair of headphones much like his dad's.

"Ahem. Can I help you, son?"

Scott turned around and saw a short, balding man who looked about forty. He wore a nametag that said, "Lloyd". Lloyd looked at Scott suspiciously, as if he hated it when teenagers came in because they always broke things.

"Um…well, I'm looking for a portable radio transmitter."

Lloyd frowned. "You? What would a kid want with a radio transmitter?"

Scott searched his brain for a lie. "It's for… a school project. Yeah. I'm doing a report on how the radio system works…I thought I could get some hands-on experience."

From the expression on Lloyd's face, Scott could tell he didn't believe him.

"I can tell you're up to something…but I can help you find what you want. Did you have a particular model in mind? Most of them are too expensive for a kid like you to be messing around with."

Lloyd was starting to annoy Scott.

"Look, I'm not going to throw it off a bridge or make fake police reports or anything. Besides, I'm looking for something simple. Maybe a used one."

Lloyd sighed and walked into a tiny room at the back. "I'll see what I've got…hmm…maybe this one. Yes, this one is fine. Hey, kid, help me with this, would ya?"

Scott helped him carry the giant piece of equipment onto the counter. The machine's slick black surface was covered in buttons and knobs.

"This baby is an XQRM-33. Manufactured circa 1999…. It's a basic FM transmitter...very simple to operate. An _idiot _could use it." Lloyd put extra emphasis on "idiot".

Scott was thrilled. "This is perfect…what does this do?" He pressed a large red button on the side and flipped the switched

Lloyd winced. "Easy, easy, kid! So, are you gonna take it? I'll let it go for…$500, no less."

Scott's happy bubble burst. He only had half of that.

"$250 is all I've got right now."

Lloyd didn't look sympathetic.

Scott sighed. How he wished he had gotten a raise in his allowance! "I'll pay the $250 now, and by the end of the week, I'll have the rest. Don't let anyone else take it!"

"Ok, kid. I'll hold it until Friday…but that's all. This is a real expensive 'project' of yours."

Scott pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet and handed it to Lloyd. It was worth it.


	5. 17 to 18

**CHAPTER 17**

Jack was up in his room, doing his algebra homework. Well, actually, that's what he was supposed to be doing. The radio was turned up and he was dancing and singing…loudly. He didn't notice the door slowly open…

"Hey!"

"Whooahhh!" He stopped his fancy routine and turned to see who had entered. "Robin! Knock first, why don't ya…I could have been naked or something!"

"Ugh, spare me the thought, Jack! I just wanted to give back some CD's Riley lent me, but she's not around. Where is she?"

Jack stepped down from the bed and sat down. "I don't know…about half an hour ago I saw her go out the front door. She looked furious."

Robin sat down on the bed next to him. "It's Riley. She's always mad about something…especially when it comes to writing songs…"

"Speaking of songs…have you guys written anything yet? Sorry to say…but that rubber-glue-stew one really sucked."

"Tell me something I don't know," she said as she gave him a shove. "Well, we've come up with some stuff, bits and pieces…but I've started writing one on my own…Riley doesn't know about it yet, though."

"Well, can I hear it?"

"Um…I don't know…it's kind of personal, and-"

Jack got down on his knees. "Please," he begged, "If it sucks, I'll lie and say I liked it. Please."

She hesitated for a moment, then sighed and reached for her backpack.

"Ok, ok, you can hear it. But promise you won't laugh."

"I won't, I won't."

From her bag Robin pulled out a very crumpled piece of paper. She smoothed it out and took a deep breath.

_You're all I think about_

_You're all I'll ever need_

_I don't know how I'll live_

_If you're not beside me_

_I love the way you smile_

_I love the way you laugh_

_Without you in my life_

_My heart is torn in half_

_It feels like I can fly_

_When you say my name_

_All I want to know is_

_Do you feel the same?_

Robin felt her cheeks flush.

"That's all I have right now…It's not very good-"

"Don't be crazy. Those lyrics…they were pretty deep…this—this person, you must really care about them."

She stared into his dark eyes.

_Just tell him._

"I-I've got to go…someplace," she stammered as she stuffed the paper into her bag. "I'll see you later…bye."

"Wait, don't—"

"Bye."

Robin quickly stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind her. Tears were making their way to her eyes.

_If I love him so much, then why is it so hard to tell him how I feel?_

**CHAPTER 18**

Riley walked out of the photocopy shop carrying a thick stack of papers, each one bearing the same message:

BOYCOTT COUGAR RADIO!

Janice Gervais, go away! There's more to school than football and cheerleading. Let's end this conformity and tune out the Cougar!

"Riley Maria Brennan," she chuckled as she pasted a poster onto a lamppost, "you are a genius. This'll show Waller and that little snot, Janice!"

Unfortunately, who happened to be walking down the sidewalk at that very moment, but Janice Gervais herself.

Riley rolled her eyes as Janice made her way closer to herself and the lamppost.

_Crap. Here we go._

Janice stopped in front of the post and read the paper. Without skipping a beat, she tore the paper down. Riley had expected her to be furious and scream until her face turned purple, but instead, Janice looked…disappointed.

"Riley, why did you do this? Why did you make these posters?"

Riley snatched the paper from Janice and shoved it into her backpack.

"There's more where that came from, Janice. You know very well why I made them. Cougar radio is so biased. You shun everyone and everything that isn't popular enough for you."

Now Janice looked angry. "Popular enough for me? Riley, you don't understand. I read whatever I'm told to read. I don't choose what gets aired on Cougar Radio and what doesn't!"

Riley was very confused now. What was she talking about?

"You don't? I always thought you—you're not the one behind it?"

"No, I'm not. There's a group of students that meet everyday after school to discuss what the next day's broadcast is going to be about. They decide what gets aired by going through a list of all the school events, then choosing the ones they think will appeal to the public."

Riley couldn't believe her ears. Janice Gervais had nothing to do with the discrimination on Cougar Radio?

Janice continued on. "You may not believe this, Riley, but I'm against Cougar Radio almost as much as you are. Do you think I like announcing things like…like that stupid cheerleader car wash, when everyone knows that they already got new uniforms 5 months ago? Do you think I like announcing that stupid annual sports banquet, when everyone knows that the school band's funding was cut to be able to cover the catering expenses? I protest to Principal Waller nearly everyday, and he just tells me to stop complaining and 'respect the position of being the voice of Cougar Radio!'"

Riley fell silent. She felt terrible. How could she judge Janice like that, when she didn't know the whole story?

"Janice, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't know…"

Janice took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped the tears making their way down her cheeks.

"Oh, don't be sorry, Riley. It's not your fault. Everyone thinks the same thing about me, that I'm a snob. I'm the one who takes the blame when I read other people's words."

Riley didn't think she'd ever felt so much pity towards anyone before.

"Janice, you don't have to take this. If it makes you so unhappy, why don't you quit?"

Janice looked at Riley with red swollen eyes.

"Quit? Why don't I quit? It's not that easy. My parents want me to do this. They think that by being the Cougar Radio DJ, everyone treats me with respect and looks up to me. But it's exactly the opposite. I can't let them down by quitting, they're too proud of me."

"I could help you talk to them, Janice. I can back you up. Once they realize how things really are, they'll let you resign!"

Janice gave Riley a small sad grin. "I appreciate your help, Riley, but I think it's best if I leave things be for now."

Riley gave a weak smile back. "Well…okay. I understand. But I just don't think it's fair to you."

"Nothing's ever fair," Janice said with a sigh. "Life's not fair. It sucks, but that's the way it is."

Riley wholeheartedly agreed. After all, would she call having Jack for a brother fair?

Janice glanced at her watch. "Well, it's getting late, I'd better getting home. Um, by the way, thanks for listening to me. It was nice to finally have someone to talk to…about everything."

"Yeah…" Riley felt extremely guilty now. "Look, I'm sorry about making those posters…I feel like such an idiot!"

"Don't worry about it. It was for the best, actually. It gave me the chance to explain to you who I really am."

And with that, she walked off again, down the sidewalk.

Riley looked at the pile of posters that she was still holding. She walked over to a trash can and tossed them in, one by one.

**AWW! wasn't that sweet! Robin's got a crush on Jackie-Poo and Riley and Janice are pals! AWW! Now excuse me before I vomit from all this mushiness! Lol, jk. Hope you liked it!**


	6. Chapters 19 and 20

**Chapter 19**

In a nervous trance, Robin bit her nails rapidly as she took her seat in Mrs. Gustoffson's history class. She was planning to avoid Jack as much as possible today. So it didn't exactly help that he was also in the class, and to make matters worse, he sat right behind her.

_Maybe he isn't here today, _she told herself. _Maybe he's sick and got mono. Wait! Isn't there a quiz today? Then of course he won't be here! He avoids quizzes like the plague. Ha, stupid me, I've got nothing to worry about!_

Unfortunately, while she was thinking, she hadn't noticed Jack enter the classroom and take his seat. As the teacher handed out the test papers, Robin felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, Robs!"

She turned around and saw _him_.

_Damn! When did he get here?_

"H-hey, Jack," she stuttered, and turned away.

"Well, aren't you the chatterbox today," he scoffed. "Oh, wait, I know…this is about what happened yesterday, isn't it?"

Robin remained silent, because she didn't exactly feel like discussing that at the moment.

"Well, I just want to let you know," Jack continued, "That your secret if safe with me."

Robin whirled around, forgetting about avoiding him.

"_What_ secret? I _don't _have a secret!"

"Yes you do," taunted Jack. "You've got a crush on someone, don't you?"

Robin couldn't see it, but she just knew her face was flushed red.

"Look, I don't have a crush on anyone, it was just a dumb song, that's all."

"Just a dumb song?" said Jack in disbelief. "C'mon, you don't write a song like _that _without _someone_ in mind. Look, Robs, you don't have to worry! Dean McFarris has no clue you're crushing on him."

"Dean McFarris!"

"Yeah…isn't that who your song was about? He was your science partner for two months! Who wouldn't get infatuated over someone they've spent the last two months dissecting frogs with?"

Robin didn't know whether she should laugh because he was absolutely clueless, or cry…because he was absolutely clueless. Actually, she was angry. Not angry at Jack, but at herself. She couldn't keep her feelings inside forever. She was a coward, afraid to admit she was in love with one of her best friends. She had to tell him how she felt, before it was too late!

"Jack," she whispered urgently, " I've got something important to tell you…"

"Ms. Strong!" snapped Mrs. Gustoffson. "There's no talking during a quiz! You can take a zero, and see me after class."

**CHAPTER 20**

It was lunchtime and the gang was seated around their usual table in the cafeteria. Jack was devouring his ham-loaf, Riley was flipping through _Rolling Stone_, Robin was scribbling "I will not talk during class" repeatedly on a piece of paper, and Scott was avidly reading a book titled _The Power of Radio, Vol. 1_.

Riley glanced up at Scott from her magazine.

"_The Power of Radio_?" she sniffed. "What _is_ it with you and radios lately?"

Scott closed and set down the book. He leaned over the table facing the other three.

"Ok, the reason I've been so interested with radios lately, is because…well, I have an idea. A great idea. And you guys have to go along with it!"

Robin dropped her pencil and looked at Scott with interest.

"Scott…are you thinking of…what I think you're thinking of?"

"Spill," urged Jack. "What is this brilliant idea of yours?"

"Well," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "You know how we found all that stuff in my attic? All the RFR things? I was thinking how great it would be, to let _our_ voices be heard. To let everyone know what's on our mind, yet no one can point fingers at us. We could play the music _we_ like, too. It'd be a change from the usual Top 40…when's the last time you've heard a radio station with a mind of its own?"

"You want to start a radio station?" blurted Jack. "That's—"

"That's a great idea, Scott!" interrupted Robin. "I can't believe we never thought of it sooner!"

"Yeah," said Jack, his eyes growing large. "We'd be…like the Anti-Cougar!" Suddenly, his face fell. "But wait, how can we have a radio station, if we don't have any _radio equipment_?"

"I'm a step ahead of you," grinned Scott. "There's this radio transmitter at Radio Hut. It's perfect, but—I need you guys to pitch in to help pay for it. I already paid half the cost."

"No way," huffed Jack, crossing his arms. "I'm saving my money for important things."

"Oh, like dance lessons?" Robin said smugly. "C'mon, Jack. If we don't have a transmitter we don't have a station!"

"Ok, fine," said Jack with a sad sigh. "Riley, can I borrow some money?"

Riley, who had remained silent the whole time, didn't look up. Something Jack had said was floating through her mind.

_We'd be like the Anti-Cougar._


End file.
